1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a process for removing, i.e., extracting, a dissolved organic specie or species (solute or target compounds which may be in liquid and/or gaseous form), particularly polar organic compounds, from a gaseous stream or an aqueous solution. This invention particularly relates to a process which uses water insoluble, or at least sparingly water soluble oligomeric or polymeric poly(amphiphilic) compounds, especially poly(oxy) compounds, to remove organic compounds, particularly polar organic compounds, from either gaseous stream or aqueous solutions by contacting said gaseous stream or aqueous solution with said oligomeric or polymeric poly(amphiphilic) compound.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid-liquid extraction is a common process for transferring a solute dissolved in a first liquid (called the feed solution) into a second liquid (called the extractant) which is essentially immiscible with the first liquid. The dissolved solute might be either a solid, liquid or gas. Upon contacting of the feed solution with the extractant, the solute partitions itself between both liquid phases in accordance with the relative solubility of the solute in the respective liquids. Thereafter, the two immiscible phases are separated from one another, thus obtaining a separation of a fraction of the solute from the feed solution.
In common practice, to promote a rapid distribution of the solute between the two liquids, such extractions are carried out by intimately mixing the feed solution and the extractant. In an alternative approach, a porous membrane acts as a partition or barrier between the two immiscible liquids to define their interface. Solute is transported between the two liquids through the pores of the membrane.
Regardless of the method of contacting employed, the degree of separation of solute from the feed solution depends upon how the solute partitions itself between the two immiscible phases. The ratio of the concentration of solute in the extractant to the concentration of solute remaining in the feed solution under equilibrium conditions is called the partition coefficient. The prior art is continuously searching for more efficient extractant, i.e., extractant with higher partition coefficients, for removing particular solutes from feed solutions.